Anaphylaxis in infancy: An area that needs to be highlighted.

Abstract

Anaphylaxis, the most severe end of the spectrum of allergic reactions, has shown increasing incidence globally over recent years. This hypersensitivity reaction can occur at any age, including infancy. Recent data, although scarce, show that anaphylaxis is increasingly reported in infancy, with food identified as the leading cause of anaphylaxis cases in this age group. Infants constitute a unique subgroup with specific challenges regarding diagnosis of anaphylaxis due to a variety of factors, such as lack of age-specific diagnostic criteria, inability of infants to describe their symptoms, and the broad spectrum of clinical manifestations that may be mistaken as normal findings. Additionally, there are special issues in reference to the treatment of anaphylaxis during infancy, such as the limited availability of weight-appropriate epinephrine autoinjectors for infants weighing <15 kg. In this study, we review the current literature regarding specific characteristics of anaphylaxis in infants as well as unique challenges in terms of diagnosis, acute treatment, and long-term management of this medical emergency in this vulnerable age group.